My drive is paved with slabs at the moment, probably around 40 years old. I'd like to replace the drive with a gravel drive since a lot of the flags are broken, etc. Is it just a matter if lifting the flags, replacing with matting and then pouring the gravel on top? The current drive is flat. I wouldn't need to buyild anything firmer underneath, which i would if i went for, say, monoblock?
Grateful for any views, since I know very little about this area.
Thanks
Chris
After looking at all the damn weeds coming through on my gravelled drive I'd replace the slabs.
Can you still get Sodium Chlorate? That would do the trick, although it might take out some of your flowerbeds if it spreads.
Had a gravelled drive and access road for some 15 years now, yet to see a single weed or any other plant!...
Gravel takes a lot more maintenance. Personally I'd relay nicer slabs, or if it's being driven over frequently, use brick paviors.
No. Sale has been banned for ~18 months and use for a year.
Hear, hear. I shall never have a gravel drive again.
I bought some sodium chlrate out a garden center about 18months ago (didnt know it was banned) Anyhow once a year I put a solution down on gravel and no weeds. But it can seep into borders if not careful. I stay away from the edges and use more friendly one for a yard or so if near a border. There are other weedkillers you can use,buy from any garden center.
And in your car and house (and shoes) and you can't jack cars up on it and it shows oil stains and crawling about under cars is a pain and anything small you drop gets lost and after a few years it accumulates enough dirt that things start to grow in it and it has to be regularly raked to look good and it sticks to muddy boots and I'm sure there are more reasons not to have it.
Like I said, I shall never have it again.
Block paving is ecologically unsound as the water run-off has to be delt with by the drains. Sunstantial weed membrane then tip the gravel on top.
Gravel drive with liberal doses of Sodium Chlorate over several years idn't stop the weeds /grass, but where there was regular passage kept growth down fairly well.
Former flower bed covered with woven plastic sheet (
(LBS also do industrial strength type weedkiller, but you need a licence to buy it, or get a farmer or 'professional' to buy it for you.)
John
Definitely agree. Neighbour had to resort to this!
That would depend on the paving. You can leave the gaps unfilled to allow it to soak into the substrate.
Not the appetite for large children?
tony sayer ( snipped-for-privacy@bancom.co.uk) wibbled on Tuesday 08 February 2011 13:59:
You can get a fancy epoxied gravel drive (often used in Stately homes open to public) - but I bet it costs! Sturgeons of Pembury, Kent do that as a specialism I think.
Suspect it asumes a concreted base though...
Biggest problem with the smaller gravels is the local moggies find it easy to dig.
You know what for.
Chav moggies round here just crap on the drive - lazy sods.
A year or so ago they made the installion of a grating and soakaway a planning requirement.
Correction -you can't let it drain onto the road, and round here to get planning permission a soakaway is the only practical solution.
After looking at the zero weeds on my gravel drive I'd never go back to slabs :-)
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